Chapter Text
Taehyun walks down the quiet lane, loosening his tie and slipping off his dress jacket, breathing a satisfied sigh.
'This is a hundred times better than staying in that stuffy room.' Taehyun recalls back to his earlier cast audition for a korean drama; the line of gorgeous, talented actors that stood before him; the rush of adrenaline whenever the director tsk at his performance, spinning his pen and shaking his head; how dead he felt when he was told to leave. Taehyun snivels. He just wants to forget everything, pour himself some wine and cry.
Taehyun lets his eyes close, deeply breathing in the refreshing night air. The resonant tap of his shoes on smooth pavement lull him into a brief nap. However, the booming bass from a passing car jolts him from it and he walks across the street, stumbling from the abrupt wake-up call. Taehyun takes a deep breath, continues down the alley. He passes by murals and graffiti, an empty café, a bar -
Taehyun stops.
From inside the bar, he could hear the muted melody of a piano. The melody sounds so familiar, yet so strange. It's like walking into a childhood home that's been empty for years; it's like crying over a lover he didn't know he had; it's like having sex for the first time: unsure, sentimental, yearning. It's like a siren calling out to him, and although it seems out of the norm for Taehyun to think that way, it feels almost right.
Taehyun slowly turns towards the backdoor, captivated by this siren's song.
Hesitant.
Intrigued.
Needing.
He opens the heavy metal door and walks into the bar.
Christmas lights litter the walls of the tavern. Women and men, both elegantly dressed, sit at small round tables, reading their menus and gossiping about politics. Waiters decked in their usual uniform stroll around the tables, struggling to carry platters of cuisine and wine.
And there's the siren, sitting in the middle of it all.
The siren, glowing under the dim glare of publicity.
The siren, his hands displaying rough veins, yet his complexion is unblemished and brilliant.
The siren, his fingers lightly gracing the ivory keys, searching for an opening.
The siren plays, and Taehyun listens.
The siren's fingers stretch over to double the simple melody from before, his left hand supporting with strong, sturdy chords. Taehyun watches how his fingers glide over the piano keys, in awe at how sprightly they move and how he could hear every single note that emanates from them. The music swims up and down his spine, tickling his nape and lower back. Up and down, high and low, slow and fast, soft and powerful.
The young pianist ends with a strong chord, standing up from his seat. But not standing proudly. He looks around the bar, observing the crowd, until his eyes land upon Taehyun.
Taehyun stares back, caught in a dizzy trance.
The pianist looks younger than Taehyun expected, possibly even the same age as him. Yet, something about the way he looks at him is so mature, nubile even. So much intensity hidden in those rum-tinted eyes. Taehyun bites his lips, restraining himself from running up to the stranger and kissing him silly. Taehyun gulps. His fingers twitch. 'Fuck, Taehyun. Keep it in your pants.'
Fortunately, an older man - probably the manager - calls to the pianist and, without a moment spared, they both disappear behind the curtains. Taehyun instantly blinks out of his stupor, not sure what to do now. He looks to his left and peeks at the millions upon millions of wine bottles shelved behind the counter. He could get that cup of wine he's been-and the pianist is back.
Taehyun glances back up. The pianist is shoving his music sheets into a book bag. His eyes have lost the intensity from before, now replaced with distraught. He gives the piano one solitary pat before heading towards the backdoor. Taehyun builds up all the courage he has and approaches him.
"I just heard you play, and I wanted to say you-"
The young pianist shoves past him before he could barely say anything.
Taehyun simply stands there. He shakes his head and chuckles, bemused and speechless.
Turns out the guy really is a siren:
he's lured him in his trap and ate his heart whole.